Typographical machine.



D. S. KENNEDY.

TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED rs.24. 1911.

1 366,023. I Patented. May 14, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M W W D. S.-KENNEDY.

TYPOGRAPHICAL MACHINE. ABPLICATION man rEB. 24.19n.

Patented May14, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITE sra ra -rear ricn DAVID S. KENNEDY, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNDR TO MERGENTI-IALER LINOTYPE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TYPGGRAPI'IICAL MACHINE.

Application filed February 24, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DA *1!) S. KENNEDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typographical Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the distributing mechanism to the mazagine from which they started. In these ma chines, the matrices when released from the magazine pass down or through a vertical channeled raceway or front plate and onto the upper stretch of an inclined endless conveyer belt from which they pass through a guide throat or chute to an assembler, wherein they are composed in line under the illfluence of a rotary star wheel.

As ordinarily constructed, the throat is constituted at its lower side by assembler rails partly inclosing the star wheel, and at its upper side by a chute spring which is arranged to contact with the side faces of the matrices as they pass through the throat. Originally, the chute spring was attached to a fixed part of the machine, with its lower end at a given distance from the assembler rails, such distance being chosen so as to provide for the proper guidance of the thinner matrices and to allow the spring to yield in guiding the thicker matrices. In the use of this construction, it frequently happened that the matrices would become clogged or piled up in the throat for one reason or another, and particularly because the spring unduly retarded the passage of the thicker matrices to which it necessarily offered greater resistance than to the thinner ones. The objection became quite pronounced upon the advent of the more modern machines, which are or may be equipped Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Serial N0.'150,688.

with matrix fonts of widely varying sizes. To meet this new condition, it was proposed to mount the chute spring so that it could be adjusted (either manually or automatically) to different operative positions so as to vary the width of the assembler throat to correspond to the different matrix fonts. While this adjustment of the chute spring materially reduced the liability to clogging, the objection was not entirely eliminated owing to the fact that the matrices in an individual font themselves vary inrthickness to a considerable extent. In addition, the necessity for adjustment required the special attention of the operator and involved the addition of other parts which served to complicate the machine construction.

It is the object of my present invention to overcome the foregoing'and other difficulties, I

and contemplates a construction wherein the matrices, irrespective of size or font, may be accurately and positively guided to the assembler in the proper manner, without the use of any additional parts or without requiring any attention whatever on the part of the operator. To this end, I propose to construct the assembler throat so that the matrices may be guided therethrough by their projectig cars, which as well known are of substantially uniform thickness throughout the font or fonts. Specifically, 1 substitute for the former chute spring a fixed trough-shaped guide facing downward toward the assembler railsand having its side flanges arranged in position to engage the projecting ears of the matrices, as the latter pass to the assembler. In this way, all of the matrices, whether thick or thin, are guided in the same positive manner without being subject to any diflierent retarding influences. I y

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a linotype machine having my invention applied thereto; it

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the assembling devices immediately concerned with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective of the improved trough-shaped guide; and

Fig. 4 is a section 'onthe line 4fl of Fig. 2.

The machine illustrated is of the kind known to the trade as Model 9, comprising four magazines A containing matrices X of as many diflerent fonts, which may difler in size to any desired extent, and any selected one of which may be brought into use by the operation of the hand lever A The matrices are released from the selected magazine by the manipulation of the keyboard 13, whence they pass down or through the channeled raceway or front plate C onto the inclined endless conveyer belt D which is continuously driven in the usual way. As the matrices leave the belt, they pass through a throat or chute E into the assembler F, wherein they are composed in line under the influence of the rotary star wheel F The matrices X are of the regular construction, each being provided on its opposite edges with the customary projecting ears X which, for the purpose of the present case, may be regarded as of the same thickness throughout a font or fonts. Jfhese projecting ears are located at one side of the individual matrices (except of course the very thin ones which are of no greater thickness than the ears themselves) and that side during composition is the rear or following one. When, therefore, the matrices are delivered to the conveyer belt, they lie upon.

their rear sides or with their forward sides facing upward (see Fig. The result is that, althoughthe matrices may vary widely in relative thicknesses, their projecting ears being of substantially the same thickness pursue the same path and are presented to the assembler throat in the same relation. This feature plays an important part in the use of my improvement, which will now be described.

As previously indicated, my invention contemplates the construction of the assembler throat so that the matrices passing therethrough may be guided by their ears instead of by their side faces as heretofore. In the present instance, the bottom side of the throat is constituted as before by the curved assembler rails E partly inclosing the star wheel F and leading from the discharge end of the belt to the entrance of the assembler F. In carrying out my invention, however, I provide for the upper or opposite side of the throat a. trough-shaped guide E screwed or otherwise secured to the framework of the face plate C. As shown clearly in Fig. 2, the guide E faces downward toward the assembler rails and has its depending flanges formed and arranged to receive the body portions of the matrices between them and to engage only the projecting ears of the matrices as they pass through the throat. The relative location of the guide flanges and the assembler rails is such that the throat or chute E constituted thereby, as shown, is flared at its receiving end and is most restricted at or about midway of the assembler rails, the width of the throat at its restricted portion corresponding approximately to the thickness of the matrix proj ecting ears. It will be apparent, therefore, that as the matrices leave the conveyer belt their projecting ears will first strike the depending flanges of the guide E and be deflected thereby downward toward the assembler, being held in close contact with the underlying rails E until they assume a more nearly erect position, at which time they are engaged by the star wheel F and pushed or advanced sidewise into the assembler F. In this connection, it is pointed out that the bottom side of the troughshaped guide E is cut away, as at E so as to permit the matrices to assume the position described, it also being noted that the lower ends of the depending flanges are curved or pointed to avoid binding against the ears of the matrices as the latter leave the throat. Since their projecting ears are of substantially the same thickness throughout the font or fonts, it follows that my improved arrangement is capable of cooperating with matrices of all sizes or fonts and delivering them to the assembler under positive and uniform control.

I have shown my invention merely in preferred form and by way of example, and as applied to a linotype machine of the kind mentioned, and it is obvious that many modifications and alterations therein and in its mode of operation will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departure from its scope.

Having thus described my invention, its construction and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a typographical machine comprising matrices formed with projecting ears at their opposite ends, the combination of a n'iagazine to contain the matrices, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed in line, means for delivering the matrices to the assembler in unreversed position, and guiding means to cooperate with the matrices in their passage to the assembler, the said guiding means including a flange to engage the projecting ears at both ends of the matrices at one side and confine them to their proper path of travel.

2. Typographical assembling mechanism capable of handling matrices formed with projecting ears at both ends and including, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed in line, a conveyer belt for delivering matrices to the assembler, and an intermediate throat whereby the matrices are conducted from the conveyer belt to the assembler in unreversed position, the said throat having a flange to engage the projecting cars at both ends of the matrices at one side to guide them properly in their passage through the throat to the assembler.

llt

Typographical assembling mechanism capable of handling matrices formed on 0})- posite edges with projecting ears and including, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed in line, a conveyer belt for delivering matrices to the assembler, and an intermediate throat whereby the matrices are conducted from the belt to the assembler in unreversed position, the said throat having at one side a pair of guide flanges arranged in position to engage the projecting ears on the opposite edges of the matrices as the latter pass therethrough.

a. 'lypographical assembling mechanism capable of handling matrices formed with projecting ears and including, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed in line, a conveyer belt for delivering matrices to the assembler, rails leading from the discharge end of the belt to the entrance of the assembler, and a troughshaped guide overlying the rails, the said guide facing downward toward the rails and having its flanges arranged in position to engage the projecting ears of the matrices as they pass therealong.

5. Typographic-a1 assembling mechanism capable of handling matrices formed with projecting ears and including, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed in line, a conveyer belt for delivering matrices to the assembler, rails leading from the discharge end of the belt to the entrance of the assembler, and a trough-shaped guide overlying the rails and having its bottom side cut away at or near the lower end, for the purpose described.

6. Typographical assembling mechanism capable of handling matrices formed with projecting ears and including, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed 1n llne, a conveyer belt for del1vering matrices to the assembler, rails leadingfrom the discharge end of the belt to the entrance of the assembler, and a troughshaped guide overlying the rails and having its flanges curved or pointed at their lower ends, for the purpose described.

7. Typographical assembling mechanism capable of handling matrices formed with projecting ears and including, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed in line, a conveyer belt for delivering matrices to-the assembler, intermediate rails constructed and arranged to re ceire the matrices from the discharge end of the belt and deliver them to the assembler in unreversed position, and a guide flange overs lying the rails and arranged in position to engage the projecting ears of the matrices as they pass therealong.

8. Typographical assembling mechanism capable of handling matrices formed on opposite edges with projecting ears and includ ing, in combination, an assembler wherein the matrices are composed in line, a conveyer belt for delivering matrices to the assembler, interi'nediate rails constructed and arranged to receive the matrices from the discharge end of the belt and deliver them to the asseinbler in unreversed position, and a pair of guide flanges overlying the rails and arranged in position to engage the projecting ears of the matrices on their opposite edges as they pass therealong.

In testimony whereof, I have atiiXed my signature.

DAVID S. KENNEDY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

